Soap-dispensing metering pressure valve

ABSTRACT

In a pressurized soap-dispensing system, a metering valve having a valve body including an inlet to be connected to a soap supply line and a forward outlet end for discharge of the soap and a fluid duct therebetween, a pushbutton-type valve mechanism carried by the body for selectively opening and closing the fluid duct, and a metering device for controlling the amount of soap discharged from the valve when the pushbutton is depressed including an inclined fluid passage in communication with the fluid duct and having a reduced area opening at its forward end and a stop pin at its rearward lower end, and a closure element in the inclined passage movable in response to dynamic soap pressure when the valve is opened so as to close the reduced area opening after a metered amount of soap is discharged.

Mite States atet Morris Feb. 8, 11972 [54] SUAP-DISPENSING METERING Primary Examiner-Robert B. Reeves PRESSURE VALVE Assistant Examiner-Larry Martin Att0rneyMiketta, Glenny, Poms and Smith [72] Inventor: Earl L. Moms, 1501 North Clolster Road,

[22] Filed: 1970 In a pressurized soapdispensing system, a metering valve hav- 21 APPL 32,935 ing a valve body including an inlet to be connected to a soap supply line and a forward outlet end for discharge of the soap and a fluid duct therebetween, a pushbutton-type valve (fol! 222/312,, mechanism carried by the body for Selectively opening and I 0 I v u v u a s a u a v v I a a a a a a a a I n a 0i the mount of Soap discha ged from t e al e when t e pu h button is depressed including an inclined fluid passage in com- [561 References Cned munication with the fluid duct and having a reduced area UNITED STATES PATENTS opening at its forward end and a stop pin at its rearward lower end, and a closure element In the Inclined passage movable m 3,519,171 Kmnavy X respgnse to dynamic oap pressure when the valve is opened 3,659,518 1 Donnelly o as to close the reduced area opening after a metered 3,138,301 6/1964 Ward ..222/335 amount ofsoap is discharged 3,142,420 7/1964 Gawthrop ..222/335 2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures SOAP-DISPENSING METERING PRESSURE VALVE BACKGROUND AND PRIOR ART Liquid soap dispensing systems of the gravity-feed type have been used in wash and shower rooms for schools, institutions, hospitals, office buildings, airports, and other public and private buildings. In such systems, a tank of soap is secured to a wall at an elevated level and a pipe extends downwardly to a dispensing valve, usually having a hand-operated plunger. When the plunger is depressed by the user, the plunger which has a cavity moves into fluid communication with the soap supply line, fills with soap, and returns (usually by spring action) to its original position where the metered amount of soap will flow out of the cavity, through a nozzle and into the hands of the user. Thus, a metered quantity of soap is dispensed each time the plunger is depressed.

The gravity system of soap dispensing is not well adapted for all types of installations and labor and maintenance costs may be reduced by adoption of a pressure soap system.

The pressure type of soap-dispensing system includes a soap tank or reservoir, generally located at a single location in the building, which is pressurized from to 40 psi. (to overcome the ordinarily encountered pressure head) and supplies soap to pressuretype dispensers. These dispensers utilize a spring-biased pushbutton valve and a spray nozzle. When the button is depressed, the pressurized soap flows freely and continuously through the valve and nozzle.

The pressurized dispensing valve eliminates the pumping of a plunger-type gravity valve which increases the useful life of the valve. It is also possible to use a lower dilution of soap in a pressurized system, with substantially equally effective results. Accordingly, the pressurized system has certain advantages over the gravity-type system but has heretofore been limited to use with a nonmetered valve. Due to the use of continuous flow valves used in prior art systems, soap consumption may increase since the amount of soap may be indiscriminately chosen by the user. Prior art plunger-type metering valves used in gravity systems cannot be used in a pressurized system since the high pressure soap will spurt out of the valve with considerable force so as to splatter or splash the user and surrounding fixtures.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide in a pressurized soap-dispensing system, a metering-type valve which affords the advantages of the pressurizing system while controlling consumption of the soap.

Another object is to provide in a pressurized soapdispensing system a metering valve which will permit the advantages of diluted soap concentrations and low maintenance while metering the amount of soap which may be dispensed.

Still another object is to provide a metering pressure valve in a pressurized soap system that is reliable, simple and inexpensive to manufacture and maintain.

Generally, the present invention provides, in a pressurized soap-dispensing system, in one exemplary embodiment, a metering valve comprising a valve body having an inlet end for connection to a soap supply line, an outlet end having a discharge nozzle, the body defining a fluid duct between the inlet and outlet, valve means carried by the body for selectively opening and closing the fluid duct, and means for metering the amount of soap discharged from the valve when the duct is opened, including a rearwardly inclined fluid passage in communication with the fluid duct, the passage having a reduced area opening at its forward upper end and stop means at its rearward lower end and a closure element in the passage for movement in response to soap flow when the valve is opened so as to close the reduced area opening after a metered amount of soap is discharged.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is an exemplary illustration of a pressurized soapdispensing system including a soap-dispensing metering pressure valve constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of a metering valve constructed in accordance with the present invention showing the valve in closed position;

FIG. 3 is a view identical to FIG. 2 showing the valve in open position; and

FIG. 4 is a rear elevation view of the metering valve shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a pressurized soapdispensing system which includes a tank 20 which is pressurized by an air compressor, for example, to provide soap under pressure, in the range of 20 to 40 p.s.i., to various shower and wash room installations throughout a multistory building. A portion of the entire system is shown for providing soap in a washroom area. Such portion of the system includes a soap supply line 21 connected to a plurality of soap dispensers, one of which is indicated at 25, mounted below a shelf 26, each of such dispensers being positioned above a washbasin such as that shown at 27. It will be understood that the soap tank 20 may be located at a central location and provide soap to numerous dispensers in shower and washroom areas in one or more general locations of the building.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 through 4, the soap dispenser or metering valve 25 generally comprises a valve body 30, a valve mechanism 40, and means 50 for metering the amount of soap discharged from the valve.

Valve body includes a rear inlet end 31 suitably threaded for connection with supply line 21, a forward outlet end 32, and an interconnecting fluid duct generally indicated at 33. Duct 33 includes a rear generally cylindrical enlarged cavity 34, first duct portion 35, central opening 36, and forward duct portion 37. The forward outlet end 32 may be threadedly connected with a discharge nozzle 38 having a threaded inner passage in fluid communication with valve forward duct portion 37 and in which is disposed a fluid restrictor element 39. It will be understood that while the nozzle 38 is shown disposed at an angle of 90 to the axis of the valve body 30, the nozzle may be disposed at other angles depending upon the use to which the valve is put.

Valve means 40 for selectively opening and closing the fluid duct 33, in the exemplary embodiment, comprises a center body 41, having a plurality of fluid ports 42, bonded to a resilient closure element 43, and disposed in central opening 36 of fluid duct 33. The center body 41 is maintained in fixed position in center opening 36 by pushbutton housing 44 threadedly inserted in a suitable opening in valve body 30. Disposed in housing 44 is a pushbutton 45 mounted on a shaft 46 extending through a central opening in center body 41 and having a closure disc 47 disposed below resilient sealing element 43 and urged into closed position by spring 48 The means 50 for metering the amount of soap discharged from the valve or dispenser 25 when the duct 33 is opened includes, in the exemplary embodiment, a metering device body 51 disposed in enlarged cavity 34 of body 30 and in sealing engagement with an intermediate portion thereof through a conventional O-ring 52. The metering device body 51 is releasably locked in cavity 34 by means of a setscrew 53. The metering device body is provided with an inclined passage indicated generally at 54 having a reduced area opening 55 at its upper forward end in fluid communication with cavity 34. The lower rearward portion of passage 54 is enlarged as by the provision of an axially aligned intersecting cylindrical passage portion 56. The rearward lower end of passage 54 is provided with stop means such as the horizontally disposed pin 57.

A closure element, which in the exemplary embodiment comprises a ball 58 having a diameter slightly less than the general diameter of passage 54 and larger than the reduced area opening 55 is positioned in passage 54 and retained therein by stop pin 57. A pressure balance port 58a interconnects the forward end portion of passage 54 with cavity 34 when the closure element 58 is in contact with the reduced area opening 55 as seen best in FIG. 3. The interconnecting pressure balance port is forward of the O-ring 52.

In operation, the soap dispenser or valve 25 when connected to soap supply line 21 will be filled with soap through the passage 54, cavity 34, and through duct portion 33 where the closure disc 47 in contact with sealing member 43 will prevent further flow of the pressurized soap. In use, the user depresses pushbutton 45 so as to move disc 47 downwardly against the bias of spring 48 allowing soap to fill central opening 36, pass through forward duct portion 47, and discharge from nozzle 38. Immediately upon commencement of soap flow, the dynamic pressure of the soap through the valve will push the closure element 58 up the inclined passage 54 and into contact with reduced area opening 55. A metered quantity of soap is therefore discharged through nozzle 38 prior to closing of the fluid passage 54. A slight trickle of soap flow may occur due to the flow of soap through the pressure balance port 580. However, such soap flow will be extremely minute forcing the user to release the pushbutton 45 so as to prevent further flow through duct 33. Through the pressure port 58a, the pressure will immediately equalize in passage 54 and duct portions 35 and 34 so that the ball 58 will roll down the incline by gravity. The valve can then be recycled so as to allow a further quantity of soap to be discharged from the valve.

It will be understood that while the metering device in the exemplary embodiment included a separate cylindrical body disposed in cavity 34 of the valve body, such metering device may be integral with the valve body. The separate construction, however, it advantageous in that the device may be easily cleaned (after it becomes blocked by caked or dried soap forming within the device) by removal of the cylindrical body held by a single setscrew. In the exemplary embodiment, such metering device can be removed so that the valve can be used in other applications as a continuous flow type of dispensing device. It will now be seen from the foregoing description of the structure and operation of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention that all of the above-mentioned objects are accomplished by the instant device. Of course, other modifications, alterations and variations of the soapdispensing metering pressure valve of the present invention may be made by persons skilled in the art which come within the scope of the present invention.

lclaim:

1. in a pressurized soap-dispensing system, a metering valve comprising:

a valve body having an inlet end for connection to a soap supply line and an outlet end, said body defining an enlarged cavity opening to said inlet end and a fluid duct interconnecting said cavity and said outlet end;

an externally hand-operable valve member carried in said valve body for selective opening and closing of said fluid duct; and

a metering device including a body releasably secured in said cavity and in sealing engagement with the walls thereof, an inclined passage through said metering body having its lower end adjacent said valve body inlet end, said inclined passage having a reduced area opening at its upper end and stop means at its lower end, a closure element within said inclined passage for closing said reduced area opening when moved by soap into engagement therewith during dispensing to thereby discharge a metered amount of soap, and a port connecting the upper end of said inclined passage with said fluid duct, said port remaining open when said closure member is in engagement with said reduced area opening to balance the ressure in said fluid duct with the pressure in the me med passage when said hand-operable valve member is closed after dispensing a metered amount of soap to thereby permit the closure member to descend down said inclined passage by gravity.

2. The pressurized soap-dispensing system of claim 1 wherein said valve body cavity is generally cylindrical and said metering device body is generally cylindrical and is sealed with an O-ring disposed intermediate the ends of said inclined passage. 

1. In a pressurized soap-dispensing system, a metering valve comprising: a valve body having an inlet end for connection to a soap supply line and an outlet end, said body defining an enlarged cavity opening to said inlet end and a fluid duct interconnecting said cavity and said outlet end; an externally hand-operable valve member carried in said valve body for selective opening and closing of said fluid duct; and a metering device including a body releasably secured in said cavity and in sealing engagement with the walls thereof, an inclined passage through said metering body having its lower end adjacent said valve body inlet end, said inclined passage having a reduced area opening at its upper end and stop means at its lower end, a closure element within said inclined passage for closing said reduced area opening when moved by soap into engagement therewith during dispensing to thereby discharge a metered amount of soap, and a port connecting the upper end of said inclined passage with said fluid duct, said port remaining open when said closure member is in engagement with said reduced area opening to balance the pressure in said fluid duct with the pressure in the inclined passage when said hand-operable valve member is closed after dispensing a metered amount of soap to thereby permit the closure member to descend down said inclined passage by gravity.
 2. The pressurized soap-dispensing system of claim 1 wherein said valve body cavity is generally cylindrical and said metering device body is generally cylindrical and is sealed with an O-ring disposed intermediate the ends of said inclined passage. 